A few months back I wrote on our house blog of a court cupboard we recently added to our collection and the previous owner’s note inside. In it, he wrote that the cupboard came from a cottage in the welsh village of Bettws-y-Coed:
This week I was reading a book with a chapter of Welsh folklore (Welsh Witchcraftby Mhara Starling). She retells a tale of Huw Llwyd a legendary Welsh wizard from the time of James the 6th of Scotland, 1st of England, and the beginning of the reign of Charles I. Many fantastical tales surround Huw and his interventions.
In his travels around Northern Wales, Huw began to hear stories of a particular in where travelers were relieved of their valuables while they slept. They would awake and find their belongings a little lighter. Yet there was no evidence of any intruders in the room and the door still locked securely from the inside. These traveler’s tales intrigued Huw and he swore to himself, he’d get to the bottom of things.
He went to Bettws-y-Coed where he posed as a traveler and booked a room at the Inn of the Three Kegs. He found the establishment to be run by a pair of pleasant older sisters.
As the evening drew on, Huw stood and prepared to head to his room. He told the sisters that he was accustomed to sleep with light in his bedchamber. He had sufficient candles with him to last the night, he said, so he would not trouble the pair for additional.
Upon arrival in his room, he securely locked the door, lit candles, and got undress laying his clothes close to hand. He unsheathed his sword and placed it beside him in bed.
Before too long he heard a noise from the fire place. Soon enough two cats emerged from the chimney and dropped in to the room. They began to romp and play taring around the room as cats will in the night. Before too long their careenings brought them to Huw’s belongings. The feline pair began to rummage about in them.
Huw quickly realized what was happening. He arose from his bed grabbing his sword on the way to his feet. He swung it at the closest cat making contact on its paw. His unexpected movement startled the two and the flew into the air. They promptly got control of themselves and raced back up the chimney.
The next morning Huw found only one of the sisters up and about when he descended the stairs and prepared his departure. Asking after her sibling, he was told that she was unwell and still abed. Huw said he wished to see her sister and wish her a fast recovering. After much insisting the old woman finally gave in to Huw’s entreaty.
She led him back to the owners’ quarters where her sister indeed remained in bed. She looked quite unwell with little color in her face. As Huw approached her bed he noticed her hand was wrapped in a blood soaked bandage.
In an instant, the intuitive Huw deduced the full story of the late night robberies. He drew his sword, spun, and sliced the palm of the other sister. He knew that by cutting the paw/hand of the one sister she was permanently deprived of her otherworldly powers. By cutting the other, Huw ensured that future travelers would be unmolested while staying at the Three Kegs.
More information on Huw Llwyd.
